Charlie Trotter, a known restaurateur and chef, is back in the news after a recent Hulu series, The Bear, which tells the story of a fine dining chef who runs his family’s beef shop. The series aimed to cover the restaurant culture of Chicago, which brought back our memories of one of the great chefs, Charlie Trotter, who opened his self-named restaurant in 1987 and helped put Chicago on the map for food lovers.

The Documentary

A new documentary, Love, Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter, talks about Trotter’s leadership style, his innovative techniques, and how he is one of the few chefs to put Chicago dining on the map. In the film, he has been portrayed as a visionary who was a self-taught chef. He was a boss who was both loved and feared. The movie features a number of chefs who rose through Trotter’s kitchen, including Grant Achatz, as well as friends Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse. Additionally, there is old footage of Anthony Bourdain and Julia Child, as well as interviews with Trotter’s relatives. One of his friends, Achatz, at the end of the documentary, talks about how much impact Charlie had on his life, and how he helped in succeeding in life.

Charlie’s restaurant

The film highlights a renowned man who oversaw a Chicago institution for 25 years, at a time when the city was at the pinnacle of everything from television to fashion. From the very beginning, Charlie had built something that was completely and beautifully different from what any other chef at the time could do. The restaurant served some of the crispiest, juiciest rotisserie chicken along with some delicious tomato soup. The desserts ranged from straightforward baked dishes to intricate pastries, including some delectable chewy chocolate meringues. Charlie may not be the most loved chef when it comes to his leadership style, but his dishes were definitely everyone’s favorites.

Your 4th July celebrations wouldn’t be complete without some patriotic food to keep you and your family’s bellies full. After all, this day is all about spending time with the ones you love, adorning your house with red, white, and blue bunting, and spreading cheer across the neighborhood with your fireworks, your decorations, and your delicious food. So, why not give this patriotic brie a try?

The Ingredients

To make this incredible dish, you might need to head to the grocery store. However, there’s a high chance that you already have many of these ingredients in your pantry ready to go. You’ll need a whole wheel of brie (around 35 ounces if you have it), graham crackers, 6 sliced strawberries, ½ cup of blueberries, ¼ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, and some honey. While you’re getting all of this stuff out, you might as well stick on the oven to preheat at 350-degrees.

The Method

There really isn’t much to this recipe, which is why it makes the perfect addition to your 4th July celebrations. It can be ready in just 15 minutes, and with little preparation. All you have to do is cut the top off your brie and bake in the oven until it’s melted. This should normally take around 15 minutes but may vary depending on your oven. Once the cheese is all melted and gooey inside, simply place the fruit into the bowl of orange juice and honey to completely coat the strawberries and blueberries. Then, arrange these fruits into the red, white, and blue pattern that we all know and love.

The End Result

When you’re done, you’re left with a dish that not only looks patriotic and awesome but also tastes incredible. While you could just grab a spoon and dig in, the best way to eat this dish is to dip in your graham crackers.

Well, we know what we’ll be cooking.